i aim to be as meticulous in my off-season fare as i (usually) am in my contest preps -- and we all know, that's some serious anality.
right now, weighing in ~188ish (upon rising), still pretty lean from the show..running Primordial's Testosterone Recovery Stack (~22 days in) combined with clomid, and let me say: that group of products has been an eye opener. no problems have surfaced in my transition from running steroidal products to current, it has been a joy. in fact -- that is partially what inspired me to run this log, the fact that once i began training again i sense i am primed for some serious growth. i now feel healthy all over, shoulders and legs both feeling best they've felt in years, able to blast military press with no problems, able to hit all my leg movements with ease.
i just feel good!

and so, the goal: add some muscle, remain fairly lean (at no time do i wish to exceed 8% bf, and preferably want to stay in 6-7ish range). stay healthy. and fill out what i need to on my physique for a run at the Nationals next year (those who followed my last log know i qualified for ntls in my show, placing 2nd in my class).

in the early parts here, following TRS/pct, we'll be rolling au naturale for ~6-8 weeks..at that point, i'll be pulling in Trenazone and more than likely another steroidal product (Trenavar maybe?)..we'll see how it goes.
for now, rolling along with ~3600cals on training days, and 2850-3k cals on off days..macros are roughly 40/40/20, tho i do vary the fats and carbs every couple days. i am still feeling things out calorically, but narrowing down the parameters..
(i am still mesmerized by all these veins running thru my abs, and the garden hoses down near my pelvic region)

more detail to follow as we go, including training regimen/food pics/etc. i do not intend to update this log often, since i'm here for the long haul and do not wish to turn this into a boring tome..
but - feel free to ask questions, and definitely give feedback if desired.
anything goes in here.

it's a rolling schedule, as i'm running a 2 on/1 off split, resting an occasional extra day here & there if i need it (or if tennis has me beat down)..and no matter what the "schedule" is on a particular week, i always rest between day #5 and day #1.
rep ranges are mostly 6-10, altho i'll go as low as 4 and as high as 12 in some instances.
rest periods are mostly 2min.

as for why i am running hammy day and quad day consecutively..
for now, i like to group my leg training together, so as not to impede my tennis game.
this gives me a couple consecutive days where i can schedule tennis, then lay off tennis while i focus on strength/size training for da wheels.
it works well for me. when tennis is finished, i simply switch days #1 and #2 around, for a more balanced approach.

i bring this up, to show how clean i'm keeping things..what i have found is, i'll need to bump cals with this diet as i've dropped to 187 (and keep getting more ripped, more veins) despite 3500cal intake, gonna move to ~3750 and monitor.
my Pp run seems to have had lingering effects on my metabolism.

Your a beast man! I like the food pics, that burger looks tasty! I eat mine with Ezekiel bread as well, its good stuff! I'll be following your progress, Good luck!

welcome aboard! and thanks for the kind words my friend.

so: was supposed to be an off-day today, but last night i had my 1x weekly couple hours "cheat window", moved up from what was supposed to be tonight..crammed about 5500cals total in (3500cal regular fare before 2k cal cheats), ate some fun stuff..now back to the grind.
after these cheat days (that are typically in the hours before i go to bed), i really enjoy waking and running fasted training (bcaa-driven of course).
and so, exactly what i did this day.

day #2 in the schedule (bypassed day #1 since it's been raining, no tennis on the horizon this w/e so can do quads next session)
7min light warm-up cardio
flat BB bench 6x8/8/8/8/7/6
incline DB bench 4x6/6/6/5
inclined perfect-pec pushups, 2x max reps
(feet positioned off end of flat bench, pushup apparatus on floor - if you want to do these w/o PP unit simply use your hands on floor, or to make it more difficult and explosive try clapping your hands in the concentric position)
7min light cooldown cardio

followed with smaller postWO shake this day, ~45g carbs from dextrose/brown rice syrup and 15g isolate, then consumed breakfast~30min later.

i quite enjoy changing things up frequently..adapting to unforseen changes keeps things fresh, and i am flexible in my structure..
also - you will see this in my training, as i rarely run the same routine 2x in a row, preferring instead constant change and muscle confusion.

postWO shake/meal is still up in the air today, but i know it will include some chocolate cake (sans icing) that my son & i made friday nite..
after not planning on tennis this w/e, will end up playing both days, as i'm scheduled for a match this afternoon and also played yesterday for ~2hrs..
with the addtl activity on hand, will boost cal intake to ~4000 today.

was solid session.
weight hovering in the 189's still, looks like i can continue to add some cals with this clean dietary intake so upping ~250 daily.
totals are now ~4000cals on training days, ~3500 on rest days.
goal is to get back up to the 200lb level within the next 3months, but remaining lean and chiseled thruout..

If you like keeping your fats lower while refeeding/cheating -- I can make a killer low-fat, hi protein pizza...
get a low fat crust (boboli is decent) but you can roll out fresh sour dough pizza crust that is fat free too.
Use fat free marinara sauce and spread liberally
Now get some low fat string cheeses and strip them down and layer it across the crust --- now use sliced chicken breast, steak strips and low fat turkey pepperoni and decorate it well.
More cheese over the top --- maybe some olives and BAKE.

breakfast this morning:
i usually eat some meat w/ breakfast, along with eggs, and carbs like oats/bread/or cereal w/ almond milk (corn flakes, multi-grain or honey nut cheerios etc)..today just some ezekiel bread, and powdered carbs in my shake.
i also alternate between grapefruit and bananas, sometimes blueberries or strawberries, but i always have a piece of fruit here.
rarely do i have a shake for breakfast but was in a hurry this morning tho, so..looked like this today:

back/bi/tri weight session, then postWO shake..got a call for some tennis as i was finishing up, so decided to forego the postWO meal and took off for the courts... did take some dextrose+brown rice syrup+hydrolyzed protein mixture to drink during/after tennis, was ~40g carbs and 35g protein drink; then ate immediately afterwards.
the workout looked like this:

feeling nice and swole after a cheat day yesterday (yes i said day, not meal or window)..
after a solid usual ~600cal breakfast and then a 600cal protein bar+MuscleMilk RTD for my second feeding (both of those being a rarity for me, but i needed something quick and on the fly), i ended up at the Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet.
oooooooooooooo man....an hour later (and 4 heaping plates worth of tasties such as general tso's chicken/sweet&sour chicken/baked whitefish/baked salmon/fried crab/stuffed crab/stuffed shrimp/butter mushrooms/green beens/and of course some crab rangoon ) i was done..
until, about 3hrs later when i was hungry again. anyway, i won't detail what all i had from there on out, but it was a "free day" to say the very least (altho, i did finish up the day with a nice protein shake pre-bed ahaaa).
dint gain as much o/n as i thought i would, only ~3.5lbs, weight at 194.1 upon rising (and before bowel movement of course ).
ran FTP for training (fasted training protocol), a bcaa+liquid hydrolyzed protein driven session..decided to do chest this day and hit legs over the w/e. and so, it was a hybrid session like this:

yesterday's training:
combined quads/hams/calves for traditional leg day in AM, also got ~1.5hrs of tennis later in PM.

8x8 BB box squats
8x8 BB rack RDLs
5x10-12 BB calf raises off step

solid session - these heavy weights are feeling both super good and also catching up with me..
awoke this morning sorer than a mugged wino.
still gonna get some bi/tri/abs in this day, and mow my yard this afternoon..tomorrow is off day.
this will be the 3rd day in a row i've ran fasted training upon rising - don't know how much longer i'll do it and you'd think it is contradictory in a lean bulk phase, but i am really seeing some great short-term results from it offsetting my one heavy cheat day (consumed 3500cals the next day, ~4300 yesterday, target is ~4k this day).

couple shots of the pissed off pythons following training.
pump was great, wiped out definition for now but i'm swole.

had some fun with the postWO meal, fit in a Butterfinger candy bar that accounted for
~270 of my 725cals total
~11g fat of my 15g total
~48g carbs of my 100g total
(oat bran and grapefruit accounted for other carbs..also added 4 egg whites+30g hydrolyzed isolate)
was an interesting feeding.
following with a solid meal in ~2hrs.

update on the upcoming cycle:
decided on Utradrol/Trenazone stack, planned kick-off is ~September 22 or 29th (haven't decided yet).
also picked up some Axon (stimulant from Antaeus Labs), looks pretty cool..will be trying that one soon.
gonna be some fun times coming up fellaz.

on tap for today, brewing up some almost-fat-free chili.
20oz turkey breast
2 cans Bush's kidney beans
1 can Red Gold tomato juice
total cals on this feast (not counting the added onions/jalapenos/banana peppers - i never count veggies in my totals) is ~1600, with a breakdown of 160g carbs/270g protein/8g fat.
i will prolly get 5 meals out of this, adding in some other fare to complete the feeding.
off the top - i know one meal today will be a bowl of this + a MetRX colossal brownie.

i'm also checking out the Axon here this morning for the first time..will give some feedback on it later -- after i decide what workout will be today (either #3/back or #4/shoulders in the 'planned rotation' that's been a guideline but nothing more)..
tennis match planned for this evening as well, coming to the end of tennis pretty dang soon.

lulzzzz..i get that sometimes.
i'm really more athletic than you'd think tho, not that 'big' per se.
more realistically: after thinking i'm gonna be an easy match because of the way i look - they sh!t a brick when they see how i actually move around out there.

upper back was sufficiently exhausted..lower back was HUGELY pumped, went heavier on these than i have in a very long while.
couple (goofy) pics of the back, can't take these pics very good myself.
will have better 3rd-party shots going forward, but these will work as sneak peeks for now until i really start adding some weight/muscle.
as noted, the pump in lower back obscured all definition (not that i have a bunch there anyway, as lower back is one of my current weaknesses)

Axon was sufficient today - i only took 2 caps with breakfast to assess, started feeling it shortly after finishing the meal, full kick-in prolly ~45min following. wasn't anything overly 'stimmed out' which is not what i'm looking for, so that's good..do think i need to go up to 3 caps tho.
energy was good thruout training, no lull or letdown..seems to be long-lasting for sure.

and the tennis this day -- what a nice match it was.
time got moved up to 4p, and it was on..
first set i got down 2-0 out the gate, got in my groove then and won 5 straight games to go up 5-2..only to see my opponent come back and tie it up 5-5. then, a break and a hold and i took the first set 7-5. second set i was up 3-1 when my opponent retired.
couple shots after the match - feeling just nice and swole. these will be the last pics till i break the 195lb mark, was at 191.8 upon rising this morning.

and, allow me to refresh my initial opinion of Axon. i have had nice, even, consistent energy all day long - no letdown, including all thru tennis and even right now..no kidding when they say long-lasting energy, WOW.

so today was supposed to be an off day..got an invite for tennis early this afternoon, decided to throw an all-arm day in (+ abs) on the front half.
i really don't enjoy dedicating a training session solely to arms; but conversely, thruout the yrs i have noticed the best growth overall in this area when i DO hammer both bi/tri together. it's a dilemma.
figured i should hit em while i got the gumption.

also - went shopping today, picked up all the ingredients to make my own version of MP's pizza recipe he dropped earlier..
not gonna be as low-fat as what he laid out, but it'll be pretty close, low enough.
some goodies include steak strips, 93% lean ground turkey, chicken breast chunks, turkey pepperoni, some tasty marinara napolitana, white mushrooms, red onion, green olives (olives not on mine yuck, but i'm making 2 pizzas), and this tomato basil string cheese i picked up just looks too good NOT to use (did pick up light string cheese tho too).
target date is Monday for these, can't wait.
pics will be furnished.

Looks awesome... I picked up some mahi mahi. Want to try and wok it up tomorrow with some veggies and brown rice

sounds great man!
i shoulda used coconut oil the other nite instead of olive oil, but i like using olive oil when i can..
picked up some shrimp today too, so a shrimp/broccoli/coconut oil stir-fry over brown rice is on tap.

turns out, my pizza will be made tonight (and the second one made Monday).
mmmmmm looking forward to it.

and: saw this article this morning, thought i'd share.
nothing earth-shattering, but some good reading and nice concepts to embrace to keep things real.
(also: altho i practice and embrace 'nutrient-timing' in my approach, this would seem to lend further credence that - for the average person - the body simply cannot be guided by such short and swift changes. that being said, i think i'll continue along on my merry timing ways. )

M.I.T.-Trained Mathematician Dispels Weight-Loss Myths

It may not have been your favorite class in school, but mathematics can teach us something about losing weight!

Dr. Carson Chow is a M.I.T.-trained mathematician and physicist who works for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Chow and his colleagues study obesity using mathematical models. What his research group has learned throws some conventional beliefs about weight loss out the window. Here are just a few:

•Belief #1: To lose a pound of weight, you need to burn 3500 Calories (kcal). Wrong. Dr. Chow's research indicates that the number of calories that you need to burn to lose a pound varies as your weight changes. In particular, as you gain weight, it becomes easier to get fatter. He explains, "An extra 10 Calories a day puts more weight onto an obese person than on a thinner one."

•Belief #2: If you cut your calories (i.e. go on a diet), you'll lose weight at first, but soon you will hit a "plateau". Wrong. If you hit a plateau soon after cutting your calories, then you've probably mistakenly overeaten. Dr. Chow says there is a "time constant" to weight loss: If you reduce your caloric intake, your body will eventually reach equilibrium, or "plateau", but it takes a long time. In fact, Chow's research at the NIH suggests that if you cut your caloric intake by 100 Calories, in three years you will lose, on average, 10 pounds, so long as you don't cheat. If you want to lose weight more quickly than, then you must reduce your caloric intake by a more substantial amount.

•Belief #3: Large variations in daily caloric intake will cause huge fluctuations in your weight. Wrong. In fact, Dr. Chow's research suggests that large variations in your daily caloric intake will not cause variations in your weight, so long as your average intake over the course of a year is about the same. This has to do with the "time constant" referred to above. The body responds slowly to changes in food intake. This is illustrated by physique athletes who suddenly and dramatically increase their calories in the days immediately following a competition. Their muscles "fill out" and they sometimes end up looking better than they did the day of the competition. A few days later, their caloric intake goes back to normal. Over the course of a year, this short brief of "gluttony" is averaged out and no excess weight is gained.

•Belief #4: People have gotten fatter in the last 30-40 years because they are less active. Wrong. According to Dr. Chow, starting in the 1970s, changes were made to national agricultural policies that encouraged farmers to engage in full production. Previously, the government had paid farmers not to engage in full production. Around the same time, technological advances were made that increased the efficiency of food production. Combined, this resulted in a dramatic increase in the supply of food available to the average American. It increased by about 1000 Calories a day. The greater the food supply, the more people eat. This is what is responsible for our obesity epidemic.

•Belief #5: Diets don't work. Wrong again. In fact, Dr. Chow says "All diets work [as long as you cut your calories enough]. But the reaction time is really slow: On the order of a year." Of course, physique athletes know that if you cut more calories and speed up your fat-burning metabolism with bodybuilding-style workouts and quality supplements, you can shorten the "reaction time" dramatically!

feeling like a champ today..the extra fats from last night just did me righteously.
below is a pic of my 192.5lb self upon rising this morning.
(i know, i know - i said no more pics till 195, but this was a nice plateau to hit too lol)